Envy is considered one of the seven deadly sins as it leads to suspicion, possessiveness and even violence. Although it has negative consequences, it's a natural emotion people feel when they believe their relationship is being threatened.

The green-eyed monster isn't exclusive to one gender: men and women both get jealous. We all, at one time in our lives, have been taken over by that monster, but how you let it control you helps determine if it's healthy or not.

It's understandable to get upset when you see your boyfriend or girlfriend flirting with someone else. Even though most of us see flirting as a harmless action, it doesn't mean we should do it in front of our significant others. This could make anyone jealous, and getting a little upset doesn't mean you are letting the monster get the best of you.

Sometimes a little jealousy is good for a relationship; it shows that you have strong feelings for that person. Guys and girls both enjoy a tiny bit of jealousy in their relationship — it's flattering — but when it becomes too much, it can be detrimental. Jealousy can consume your thoughts, actions and time, which can become dangerous. Here are some signs that jealousy has become unhealthy for you and your relationship.

When your partner tries to control you. If your boyfriend or girlfriend makes you stay at home because they are unable to go out with you, it's like they are claiming dominance over you. This happens a lot in long distance relationships; they make you feel guilty for going out without them, and maybe even imply that you must have been dancing or went home with some guy because you weren't at home to pick up their phone call. Even though this is common in some relationships, it doesn't mean this is healthy or normal.

When you find yourself choosing your partner over your friends every time. If you find yourself losing friends because you know spending time with them instead of your partner will start an argument, this is not a good thing. No one should ever feel like they have to give up friendships because it makes someone else uneasy. When you notice you're deleting your friends off your phone, BBM or Facebook just to make someone else happy, it will only lead to resentment.

When you can't trust your significant other. When you are the jealous person in the relationship, it's difficult when all your thoughts and energy are spent on trying to figure out if you can trust someone. If you are one of those people who reads your boyfriend's text messages or creeps his private messages on Facebook, you know you have gone too far. Obsessing about things can be destructive to a relationship, and in the end you might be so consumed with envy that you drive him or her away. Many of us can admit that we have snuck a peek a time or two at their phone while they're in the shower, but what are we really gaining from doing that? We are feeding into our own insecurities, and our significant other becomes an outlet for that.

When I think of a relationship that I felt the most secure in, I trusted him completely. I never spent a single moment obsessing about the girls he was talking to or wondering if he was cheating on me. Let me tell you, it was the nicest feeling in the world to only think about important things and enjoy the good times.

In a lot of my relationships, I never felt that trust, and now I don't even like to think about all the hours of my life I wasted trying to figure out if he was with other girls or not. Most of the time I ended up being right, but it wasn't healthy at all. I should have ended those relationships a lot sooner if I never learned to really trust my significant other. I honestly felt like this monster full of insecurities was controlling my life; it wasn't a good feeling at all. If you can't trust the person, why are you with him/her? It's not worth the time and energy it will cost you emotionally.

We all have experienced jealousy in our relationships, but when you let it take over your life, it can be harmful to you and the people around you. We should all learn a lesson from the legal system and believe that our significant other is innocent until proven guilty. If they are guilty, the evidence will surface, however, it isn't our job to be the detective.